Intro to ETRO - Created for Lacarno Properties by ETRO Construction

LACARNO PROPERTIES

INTRO TO ETRO

OCTOBER 2024

BERKELEY TOWER VANCOUVER, BC

COMPANY OVERVIEW AND SERVICES

Who We Are Our Distinguishing Attributes

ETRO Construction Limited (ETRO) was founded in 2015 with a vision to build a contracting company dedicated to doing things differently. 9 years later ETRO is the fastest growing construction company in Western Canada focused on creating intimate build experiences that add value to lives and communities.

We are built on a foundation of quality and have a commitment to create exceptional projects and experiences. People are at the heart of our business and we constantly work to build lifelong relationships with all project partners – clients, consultants, and contractors alike. Teamwork, transparency, quality, and ethics are the roots of these relationships.

ETRO provides diversified construction services to our partners in an ever-changing construction market; where technology and a new generation of construction professionals will forever innovate the way we build. It’s all part of our legacy: partnership, innovation, positive community impact, and living and leading through integrity and positivity.

Our teams know how to create an unparalleled client experience on their projects by finding innovative ways to achieve project goals and providing exemplary stakeholder communication throughout. We are infusing the construction industry with heart. We are pairing passion and purpose with quality, safety and service - creating an unparalleled experience in the process.

LOVE

Driven by a deep care for leaving places and people better than we found them, we treat everyone we work with as part of the ETRO family, and we extend that same love and respect to the communities and environments we work in.

AUTHENTIC

You’ll get the same version of the ETRO crew out in the community, on a job site, in a meeting, or over a beer. We’re real people with a passion for our work – and bring honesty, humanity, and humility to everything we do. We’re real builders.

CURIOUS

Our superpower is our curiosity. Thinking outside the box to seek a better way to build, and brave enough to ask questions that challenge the norm in pursuit of creating dynamic solutions and building differently.

PROGRESSIVE

We’re fearless with technology and using it to disrupt how we build today. We are driven to be leaders of change as we innovate how the future of our world is built.

Why We’re Different Our Market Differentiators

ETRO was founded with a vision to build a contracting company dedicated to doing things differently. Where technology and a new generation of construction professionals will forever innovate the way we build.

What sets us apart from our competition?

LEADING THE INDUSTRY

One of the leading contractors in BC, ETRO is dedicated to remaining one of the most progressive construction companies in Canada. We have experienced tremendous growth over the past 9 years and attribute our success to relationships fostered through delivering quality projects and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

ETRO continues to garner the attention of the industry by embracing disruption and innovation, driving change, and pushing boundaries resulting in our ability to handpick top talent and build a team of experienced construction professionals. While the ETRO itself was founded in 2015, the leadership and proposed team have 15-plus years of experience providing construction management services in the Vancouver market.

ETRO has been recognized for its success with a number of awards. Most recently, ETRO was named to SiteNews Top 25 Innovators in Canadian Construction. This award spotlights companies who are taking risks, trying new building methods and technologies, and blazing a trail for the rest of the industry.

RELATIONSHIPS AT OUR CORE

Successful projects are, in our experience, a function of relationships and communication. With our entire team locally in Vancouver you will get hands-on involvement from our senior leadership. With a team that’s been working in the Vancouver and Lower Mainland market for more than 20 years, we’ve collectively cultivated hundreds of long lasting relationships with talented trade contractors and suppliers.

We’re out to create wins for the people we work with; to create trusting relationships with the clients we support, transparent and successful working relationships with trade contractors, and confidence with community members. We know how much relationships matter and we’re looking forward to continuing to build a strong one with you and your entire project team.

CLICK THE PHOTO TO WATCH A VIDEO OF THE ETRO STORY

OUTSTANDING PRE-CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

ETRO has invested heavily in our pre-construction processes, because—like the foundation of any building—we believe the foundation for a successful project begins at the pre-construction stage. Our team holds the reputation of being number one in the city for a reason, providing experience and second-to-none customer service to our clients. Our team is eager to unwrap the design and provide recommendations to mitigate risks and increase the efficiency of all aspects of this complex project.

COMMITMENT TO QUALITY AND EXCELLENCE

We are committed to delivering high quality projects that meet or exceed our client’s expectations through developing and implementing a thorough quality plan specific to each project. We take pride in turning over our projects with zero deficiencies and continuing to service our clients well beyond project completion through our ETRO Client Care program. Our dedicated Client Care team is responsible for responding to and addressing deficiencies throughout the warranty period. As part of our quality control, we’ve also integrated sequenced 3D scanning throughout the life of a project to create exceptional as-built documents for reference and coordination for future building maintenance or alterations.

VIRTUAL DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

Working purely in 2D is no longer an acceptable way of building for us and we now require all of our projects to be modeled in 3D and utilize BIM. To adhere to this commitment we’ve employed an in-house virtual design and construction specialist. Xenia Gordienko, our VDC Manager, is a BIM expert with over 15 years of experience with BIM strategies and developing and implementing BIM standards within construction. She utilizes BIM and 3D modeling to ensure scopes of work are coordinated and provides clash detection so issues are identified and solutions are found prior to becoming a reality on site. Through VDC, we are also able to take the project into the 4th dimension and integrate the construction schedule with the 3D model to track phasing, sequencing, and site logistics. Xenia’s passion for understanding what technology can do creates an access point to new ways for the team to build more efficiently and better.

DIRECT PROCUREMENT

ETRO has a new supply chain management division through its Commerce Court Equipment Company (CCEC) offerings. This division has the ability to manage all aspects of purchasing, value engineering, expediting, tracking, warrantying, and logistics of equipment and material purchases including but not limited to lighting fixtures, mechanical equipment, generators, windows, countertops, and casework. With ETRO’s unique list of relationships, CCEC has the ability to source this material directly with more assurances and transparency on lead times and cost.

With a growing in-house group of experts, ETRO has now introduced a MEP Manager to the team. Their experience and trade relationships in terms of sourcing mechanical and electrical equipment will provide further insight and transparency to projects, and will provide this knowledge to further forecast a realistic project schedule without the delays caused by supply chain constraints.

TRANSPARENT AND COLLABORATIVE

We believe that by working together as partners with our Clients, Consultants and subcontractors the overall project experience and end result is significantly improved for all stakeholders. This transparent and collaborative approach is the business model that ETRO was founded on and permeates the entire company on every project. Our team adds value by working with the project team from day one to help drive solutions, and eliminate roadblocks based on our extensive experience on similar tenant improvement projects.

What We Do Our Innovations in Service Delivery

As part of our strategic plan we are more focused than ever on providing our clients with innovative building solutions. We have deeply invested in our innovation and technology processes; employing an in-house I+T team to research, develop, and implement new technologies, not only in our construction processes, but across our entire business. From paperless invoicing to meeting minute assistants, we’re using Lean practices to find ways to work more efficiently, do more with less, and ultimately make our team’s lives easier.

LEAN PRACTICES

We started our Lean journey just over two years ago initially to standardize internal processes as the company grew. Lean encourages us to view on-site operations more critically and question why things are done as they are. The goal? Eliminate waste by creating continuous workflow, where ‘waste’ is any part of the process that doesn’t contribute or add value. An inherent part of this waste-reducing process is a constant evaluation/re-evaluation of how we work.

Our internal Lean Committee has all undergone their Lean greenbelt training and spearhead initiatives across the company to eliminate waste. In addition, all of our Project Managers and Superintendents were trained in Lean and utilize Lean Pull Planning, Lean Weekly Work Plans, and Lean Daily Coffee Huddles on a consistent basis across all of our projects.

LEAN PULL PLANNING

All of our Project Managers and Superintendents were trained in Lean and utilize Lean Pull Planning, Lean Weekly Work Plans, and Lean Daily Coffee Huddles on a consistent basis across all of our projects.

THE ETRO WAY

As ETRO has grown, we’ve sought out a way to take the insight and knowledge that our experienced team members have stored between their ears and make it accessible so work can get done with confidence, clarity, and efficiency.

Using Lean practices, we broke down a project lifecycle from initial opportunity to closeout and warranty. We then did a deep dive into each step and scrutinized the way we do things and documented the process. The ETRO Way has become a resource, a means for mentorship and training, and a way for us to zone in on quality across every step in every project.

The ETRO Way provides consistency so we execute our projects in the same manner and the same level of quality. This means our clients can always expect the same level of service from ETRO no matter which project team they are working with.

EMT (ETRO MILESTONE TRACKER)

As the number, size, and complexity of our projects grew, we needed to find a way to keep our pulse on all of our projects and make sure we could course correct if they were trending off schedule. With no comprehensive tool on the market, our in-house Innovation + Technology team built custom APIs to integrate with our existing platforms creating a tool that provides real time updates of our progress against critical project milestones. At a glance, EMT signals our teams of issues that could cause potential schedule delays which allows us to proactively take action to keep the project on track and deliver our projects on time every time.

CENTRALIZED PURCHASING

When precautions due to COVID-19 limited the availability and access to building materials and equipment vendors, we implemented a company wide purchasing process to reduce the number of interactions required by our site teams. After noticing efficiencies such as saved labour hours, reduced delivery fees, and bulk purchasing cost savings, we decided to commit to this purchasing process full time. We have since created a centralized purchasing entity, Commerce Court Equipment Company Inc, which staffs two full time employees, manages all procurement for ETRO, facilitates material and equipment distribution/deliveries, as well as removes waste and recyclables from our sites. Commerce Court also acts as a rental and repair service for all commonly used tools and equipment. By capturing all the needs of each site with one service provider we are able to reduce costs, maintain supply lead times, and minimize the number of vehicles on the road. The Centralized Purchasing process is ever evolving as we receive feedback from our site teams and vendors, update our equipment and technology, and implement additional Lean practices to improve efficiency.

MATTERPORT / LASER SCANNING

ETRO has been scanning its projects with a Matterport camera for the past two years. Scans are completed at the time of mobilization (pre-condition scan), once all rough-in is complete (pre-board scan), and at project completion. All scans are provided to the client and its operations team to greatly assist with building management and maintenance in the future. We also use laser scanning surveys to capture precise geometric data for our 3D models to facilitate the BIM process.

3D MATTERPORT SCAN

Click the image to view the Pre-board 3D Matterport Scan of our PCI Hastings project. https://drive.google.com/file/d/146LZZDaM_l8ltHvg0OwqeiKBgGAa0usS/view

ETRO Services

Shape, form and physical space are what inspire us. Working on meaningful projects across every kind of industry is what lights us up. Here’s how we’re serving our clients with our end-to-end project expertise:

ETRO BUILD

Stand alone commercial and institutional buildings, designed to nurture creativity and connections.

ETRO LIVING

Multi-family concrete and wood frame communities for those with a passion for design and an eye for quality.

ETRO REVIVE

Turn-key design-build solutions to deliver renovations and restorations rooted in sustainability, while retaining the character of existing buildings.

ETRO INTERIORS

Tenant improvements bringing storefronts, pop-up shops, retail and dining outlets along with productivity-inspired office spaces to life.

Scope of Services

The following is an outline of the Services that ETRO’s Pre-Construction and VDC Teams can provide and add value to the front end of the project:

DISCOVERY - BASE PACKAGE

Attend regular meetings with the owner, architect, consultants, and end user

Attend meetings with required contractors

Determine scope delineation between contractor, owner, and the end user

Provide high level project budgeting

Provide a high level construction schedule

Provide detailed tendering and procurement schedule and strategy

PRE-CONSTRUCTION - BASE PACKAGE

Become fully engaged with the project team and provide best efforts to assist consultants to complete a fully coordinated set of tender documents for the project.

Provide order of magnitude estimates at design milestones and throughout building programming to inform the owner and project team, and guide decision making on cost control for all parties. Keep in close contact with the trade community and advise the owner immediately of any changes or trends relating to market conditions.

Provide value engineering suggestions and alternate means and methods to achieve the lowest overall cost for the project, while maintaining the design intent and quality of the project.

Create a long lead item list and facilitate early tender packages if necessary to procure material, or lock in subcontractor availability.

Incorporate proposed owner supplied items into trade packages and provide detailed, itemized lists including unit prices and quantities, to assist the owner in selecting materials that may be procured from overseas and advise if better local opportunities are available.

Review and recommend opportunities for design-assist packages to bring key subcontractors to the table early in the project.

Create a detailed site logistics and sequencing plan, and construction schedule. Update as necessary during design development.

Review requirements and needs for exploratory work within existing and/or remaining structures to allow consultants to confirm any design elements prior to tender.

Identify risk items for the project and put in place a strategy to mitigate or eliminate the potential risk ahead of construction start.

Create a list of qualifications, which will be reviewed with the consultants and ownership to arrive at a mutually acceptable agreement.

TOPPING THE CHARTS

In 2023 we were honoured to be recognized at the Procore Groundbreaker Awards as a Winner for Excellence in Workforce Development.

RELEVANT PROJECT EXPERIENCE

BERKELEY TOWER

VANCOUVER, BC

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

FOUR SEASONS OCEAN CLUB RESIDENCES

NASSAU, BAHAMAS

UBC - BEATY BIODIVERSITY CENTRE ADDITION

RELIANCE - 837 BEATTY REVITALIZATION

PETERSON - C43 MANSON SHOW SUITE

Vancouver, BC

CLIENT CANDEREL

ESTIMATED START DATE JANUARY 2026

SIZE 303,823 SF VALUE $100M

RESIDENTIAL REVITALIZATION

Muro (Berkeley) Tower

Vancouver, BC

CLIENT RELIANCE PROPERTIES

COMPLETION NOV 2022

SIZE 73,000 SF

VALUE $26M

HOUSING PROJECT EXPERIENCE

PCI

WOODSTOCK TOWNHOMES

CAMPBELL RESIDENCES

PASSIVE HOUSE RESIDENTIAL BUILD

Brightside Community Homes

Vancouver, BC

CLIENT COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL

COMPLETION SEPTEMBER 2024

SIZE 125,900 SF

VALUE $45M

“ETRO has been fully engaged since day one providing leadership and experienced staff to help manage the challenges of the site and the volatility of the construction industry. The project has been challenged with rising construction costs, rising interest rates impacting financing and particularly challenging site conditions. ETRO has been able to bring the appropriate trades and expertise to the table to mitigate risk and keep the project moving forward in one of the most volatile construction eras in recent history.”

— Jaraad Marani Vice President, Development Advisory Strategy & Consulting Group Colliers Canada